DULUTH, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul men's and women's track and field teams opened up competition at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Championships on Thursday afternoon with the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon kicking off at Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minn.  

Sophomore Mehlayna Straub got off to an outstanding start in the women's heptathlon, leading the 17-athlete field with 3113 points with four of the seven events in the books. Straub finished in sixth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.05 seconds and fourth in the shot put with a distance of 11.03 meters (36' 2.25"). A pair of second-place finishes in the high jump (1.65 meters, 5' 5") and 200-meter dash (25.01 seconds) vaulted her to the top spot at the end of day one. Her marks in the 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, and shot put are all personal records. The heptathlon will conclude on Friday with the long jump, javelin throw, and 800-meter run.

Concordia's Mina Nguyen is also competing in the heptathlon, currently sitting in 14^th place overall with 2362 points after 10^th-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump, a 17^th-place finish in the shot put, and a 14^th place finish in the 200-meter dash.

On the men's side, junior Jeffrey Odamtten leads the way for the Golden Bears in the men's decathlon as he sits in fifth place among the 14 competitors with five of the 10 events completed. Odamtten has tallied 3203 points thus far, thanks in large part to a trio of fourth-place finishes in the 100-meter dash, shot put, and 400-meter dash. He rounded out his day finishing ninth in the high jump and 12^th in the long jump. His time of 11.11 seconds in the 100-meter dash was a new personal best.

Sophomore Will Hugo is just behind Odamtten in the decathlon as he holds sixth place with 3161 points on day one. Hugo's day one highlight came in the 100-meter dash where he finished in third place, also finishing fifth in the 400-meter dash. He rounded out the first day placing sixth in the shot put, seventh in the long jump, and 12^th in the high jump.

The multis will wrap up on Friday while individual events will begin on Friday and continue through Saturday on the campus of Minnesota Duluth.